Education and Intervention Plan for Bullying, Discrimination, Harassment, Hate Conduct, Hazing and Retaliation
Updated July 2023
I. Introduction
At Wilbraham & Monson Academy, we expect that all members of our school community will treat each other with civility and respect. It is the policy of the School to work to provide and maintain a learning environment that is free of bullying and any other verbal or physical misconduct that disrupts the learning environment and/or makes it unsafe.
The plan, set forth below, is published in response to the Massachusetts law against bullying and is an integral part of our efforts to promote learning and address behavior that can impede the learning process. This plan is consistent with broader protections at WMA against harassment, discrimination, hate conduct and hazing that appear in our Student/Parent Handbook.
This plan must be well understood by all members of the WMA community. The Dean of Students is responsible for the implementation and administration of the plan. Questions and concerns related to this plan may be referred to the Head of School, Dean of Students or Director of the Middle School.
II. Policy against Bullying, Discrimination, Harassment, Hate Conduct, Hazing and Retaliation
The School will not tolerate any form of bullying, discrimination, harassment, hate conduct and hazing, nor will we tolerate retaliation against any person who reports this behavior, provides information during an investigation, witnesses or has reliable information about this behavior. Bullying, discrimination, harassment, hate conduct and hazing are prohibited on school grounds and at school-sponsored events, athletic or other activities, functions and programs. Bullying, discrimination, harassment, hate conduct and hazing also are prohibited on school buses and other vehicles owned, leased or used by the School, and through the use of technology or an electronic device owned, leased or used by the School.
In addition, bullying, discrimination, harassment, hate conduct and hazing are prohibited at a location, activity, function or program that is not school-related or through the use of technology or an electronic device that is not owned, leased or used by the School if the behavior creates a hostile environment at school for a targeted student; infringes on the rights of a targeted student at school; or materially and substantially disrupts the educational process or the orderly operation of the School.
Definition of under the Law
The following definitions are drawn from the Massachusetts law against bullying:
● Bullying: Bullying is defined as the repeated use by one or more students of a written, verbal or electronic expression or a physical act or gesture or any combination thereof, directed at a target that:
○ causes physical or emotional harm to the targeted student or damage to the targeted student’s property
○ places the targeted student in reasonable fear of harm to themselves or of damage to their property
○ creates a hostile environment at school for the targeted student
○ infringes on the rights of the targeted student at school; or
○ materially and substantially disrupts the educational process or the orderly operation of the school
● Cyberbullying: Cyberbullying is bullying through the use of technology or electronic devices such as telephones, cell phones, computers, fax machines and the internet. It includes, but is not limited to, email, text messages and internet postings, whether on a webpage, in a blog or otherwise.
● Discrimination: Discrimination is treating persons differently, or interfering with or preventing them from enjoying the advantages or privileges afforded to others because of their membership in a protected class.
● Harassment: Harassment is oral, written, graphic, electronic or physical conduct relating to a person’s actual or perceived membership in a protected class that is sufficiently severe, pervasive or persistent so as to interfere with or limit that person’s ability to participate in the school’s programs or activities by creating a hostile, humiliating, intimidating or offensive educational environment.
● Hate Conduct: Hate conduct is behavior, such as but not limited to gestures, symbols or speech, that communicates the promotion or acceptance of vilification, humiliation, hatred, exclusion or violence toward a group or a class of people on the basis of race, religion, skin color, sexual identity, gender identity, ethnicity, disability or national origin. Words and symbols that carry this message, regardless of who uses them or what their intent might be, directly undermine the foundation of our community and erode the trust necessary to live and learn together. Such conduct includes, but is not limited to, the
use of a written, oral or electronic communication (including those in languages other than English) or a physical act, gesture or visual symbol.
● Hazing: Hazing is any conduct or method of initiation into any student organization, whether on public or private property, which willfully or recklessly endangers the physical or mental health of any student or other person. Such conduct shall include whipping, beating, branding, forced calisthenics, exposure to the weather, forced consumption of any food, liquor, beverage, drug or other substance, or any other brutal treatment or forced physical activity which is likely to adversely affect the physical health or safety of any such student or another person, or which subjects such student or another person to extreme mental stress, including extended deprivation of sleep or rest or extended isolation
● Hostile Environment: A hostile environment is a situation in which bullying causes the school environment to be permeated with intimidation, ridicule or insult that is sufficiently severe or pervasive to alter the conditions of a student’s education.
● Retaliation: Retaliation is any form of intimidation, reprisal or harassment directed against a student who reports bullying, provides information during an investigation of bullying, or witnesses or has reliable information about bullying.
Legal Definitions and School Policy
It is important to bear in mind that stricter standards of behavior may apply under Wilbraham & Monson Academy’s policies in order that we may prevent inappropriate verbal and physical conduct before a student has been subject to bullying as it is defined under the law. For example, although the law defines bullying as the “repeated use” of certain expressions, acts and/or gestures, the School reserves the right to apply disciplinary measures and other corrective action in a case of a single expression, act or gesture, if the School determines that it is of sufficient severity to warrant disciplinary measures or other remedial action or that the repetition of that expression, act or gesture might reasonably result in bullying as defined under the law.
III. Education Regarding Bullying, Discrimination, Harassment, Hate Conduct, Hazing and Retaliation
From the earliest grades at WMA, students learn that as members of our community, they have a right to be treated with civility and respect. Our curriculum emphasizes respect for differences, and teachers are clear in their expectations for student behavior. When necessary, parents/guardians are notified and asked to reinforce standards for membership in the WMA community. The Student/Parent Handbook is distributed and discussed each year, and it is available on our website. Students and families acknowledge their acceptance of its policies with the signing of their enrollment contracts. This handbook includes explicit policies around the acceptable use of technology at WMA. In addition, school and advisor meetings are utilized by administrators and faculty to make sure that students are well-informed about what is expected of them and to reinforce positive conduct.
The administration and faculty recognize it is essential for expectations regarding student conduct to extend to corridors, locker rooms, lunch, free time, buses and the like. The School strives to ensure that ample adult supervision is provided on School premises, including in the corridors, at lunch and during free periods, and on School-provided transportation as well as at school-sponsored events.
In addition, there are several specific programs that address our community values and related topics throughout the academic year.
● Orientation: During the opening of school each year, the middle and upper schools engage in healthy group activities that highlight and reinforce positive community involvement. Having new students initially learn about one another and interact with one another in a controlled environment with the support of faculty members and peer leaders sets the right tone for the year. These are important educational opportunities to help students understand what is expected of them and what their limits are.
● Prefects: Student prefects are an essential part of our residential life program. They are expected not only to uphold the Academy’s rules and policies but also to enforce them. As peers and confidantes to fellow dorm mates, prefects also work closely with dorm parents and the Deans Office to ensure the dorms are safe community spaces.
● Peer Mentors: The student peer mentors, a developing group on campus, are trained student leaders who assist the Deans Office and School Counselors in handling difficult interpersonal situations. Of course, the students typically deal with low-level or mild cases, and with plenty of support from the School Counselors, but simply having this system in place further establishes our expectations for the fair and healthy treatment of differences among community members.
● Counselors Group: Every week, key members of the School’s faculty and staff meet to talk about the students from a health and welfare perspective. The group is chaired by the School Counselors and Director of Health Services and includes the Dean of Students, Dean of Studies, Dean of Residential Life, Dean of Academics, Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, and Director of the Learning Center. The Head Dorm Parents and the Director of International Students attend the meetings approximately every other week. The purpose of this group is to discuss proactive approaches to situations that could impact students’ health and welfare at the school. Members of the group present information from firsthand observation or as received from another source, and it is discussed at length. With the assistance of the group’s collective experience and the professional input of the consulting psychologist, plans are made to mediate existing or potential escalation.
IV. Reports of Bullying, Discrimination, Harassment, Hate Conduct, Hazing and Retaliation
Any student who is the target of bullying, discrimination, harassment, hate conduct, and hazing or has witnessed an incident or otherwise has relevant information about such behavior is expected to promptly report the matter verbally or in writing to the Dean of Students, Director of the Middle School, Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion or to any other faculty or staff member with whom the student is comfortable speaking. Also, any student who is subject to retaliation in violation of this policy or who knows of another student who has been subject to retaliation is expected to report it as soon as possible. The School has developed an incident report form, which can be accessed digitally.
A parent/guardian of a student who is the target of bullying, discrimination, harassment, hate conduct, and hazing or of a student who has witnessed or otherwise has relevant information about this type of behavior is strongly urged to promptly notify the Dean of Students, the Director of the Middle School, or Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion. Furthermore, any parent/guardian who has witnessed bullying, discrimination, harassment, hate conduct, hazing or retaliation, or has relevant information concerning such an incident is strongly urged to come forward to the Dean of Students, the Director of the Middle School or Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion.
Any member of the faculty or staff of the School who witnesses or otherwise becomes aware of bullying, discrimination, harassment, hate conduct and hazing in violation of this policy or who becomes aware of retaliation against a student who reported information concerning a violation of this policy is required to report it immediately to the Dean of Students, the Director of the Middle School or Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion. There are to be no exceptions. A member of the faculty or staff may not make promises of confidentiality to a student or parent who informs them of an allegation of bullying, discrimination, harassment, hate conduct and hazing. Faculty and staff may not make reports under this policy anonymously.
The School also urges students and their families not to make reports anonymously. Although there are circumstances in which an anonymous report can be better than none at all, it is far more difficult to determine the facts of what occurred if complaints are made anonymously. Students and families are encouraged to bear in mind the School takes its policy against retaliation seriously. Also, while the School cannot promise strict confidentiality, because information must be shared in order to conduct an effective investigation, the School releases information concerning complaints of bullying, discrimination, harassment, hate conduct and hazing only on a legitimate need-to-know basis.
V. Responding to a Report of Bullying, Discrimination, Harassment, Hate Conduct, and Hazing
● Preliminary Considerations: When a complaint of bullying, discrimination, harassment, hate conduct or hazing is brought to the attention of the Dean of Students, the Director of the Middle School or the Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, an initial assessment is made. In this assessment, the administrator determines whether any initial steps need to be taken to protect the well-being of students and to prevent disruption of their learning environment. They also determine if an investigation needs to be conducted or if they have enough information to make a resolution.
● Obligation to Notify Parents/Guardians: It is the policy of the School to notify the parents/guardians of any student who is an alleged target of bullying, discrimination, harassment, hate conduct and hazing, and the parents/guardians of any student who may have been accused of engaging in such behavior after a complaint has been made.
● Investigation: The following is an outline of the procedure that is pursued once the administrator determines an investigation must take place:
○ Once the initial assessment has been done and a determination that further investigation is warranted, the Harassment Review Board (HRB) conducts an impartial investigation of the complaint.
○ The HRB consists of the Dean of Students, Director of the Middle School, Dean of Residential Life, Director of Health Services, School Counselors and Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
○ The investigation may include (but will not necessarily be limited to) interviews with the person who made the complaint, with the student who was the target of the alleged bullying, discrimination, harassment, hate conduct or hazing, with the person or persons against whom the complaint was made, and with any students, faculty, staff or other persons who witnessed or who may otherwise have relevant information about the alleged incident. All students and employees will be asked to document the incident in question for further comparison.
○ As appropriate, strategies may be implemented to support the students while the investigation is ongoing. Within appropriate circumstances, some of these strategies may include:
■ separating the students during lunches or free periods
■ class schedule changes
■ locker or parking assignment changes
■ assigning “safe people” and “safe places” as resources for the student making the complaint
○ Depending on the circumstances, the HRB members conducting the investigation also may choose to consult with other teachers, professionals, the Head of School and/or School’s consulting psychologist.
○ Upon completion of the investigation, the person(s) who conducted interviews bring the information to the full Review Board.
○ After the interviews have taken place, the HRB will determine whether and to what extent the allegation of bullying, discrimination, harassment, hate conduct or hazing has been substantiated.
● Resolution, Notification and Follow-up: Following the administrator’s initial assessment or the investigation, if it is determined that the policy set forth in this Plan and/or the Student Parent Handbook has been violated, the administrator or the HRB, in consultation with the Head of School, will determine what disciplinary action and/or other remedial action is appropriate and how it will be implemented. The action could include mandatory counseling, some form of written or verbal apology, a research paper or reflection assignment, community service, mediated conversations, non-contact agreements, and/or discipline up to and including dismissal.
The goal of an investigation and any disciplinary or resolution following that investigation is to correct the situation to the extent it is reasonably possible, restore relationships if needed and rebuild the environment. Additionally, the goal is also to take such steps as can be taken to prevent there being a repetition of the incident and to prevent the student or students targeted and others who participated in the investigation from being subject to retaliation.
In appropriate circumstances, such as when a crime may have been committed or a child may have been subject to abuse or neglect of the type that is reportable under Section 51A of the Massachusetts laws, law enforcement or another appropriate government agency may be notified. For example, if the alleged conduct involves criminal activity, threats, violence, or electronic or physical stalking.
Upon completion of the investigation, the administrator or members of the HRB who conducted the investigation will meet with the student or students who were the target of the alleged incident and the student or students against whom the complaint was made and their parents/guardians, to report the results of the investigation and, where disciplinary or other corrective action is determined to be appropriate, to inform the parties of the steps that will be taken to correct the situation. Confidentiality laws protecting student records may limit the amount of information provided in these meetings.
Follow-up contacts may be made with the students to see if additional support can be provided.
VI. Conclusion
This plan is intended to:
● educate our community about bullying, discrimination, harassment, hate conduct and hazing
● outline our process to support a healthy, safe community
● encourage faculty, staff, students and their parents/guardians to have confidence in the School’s procedures and to come forward promptly whenever a student is subject to conduct that is prohibited by this or any other school policy
● implement appropriate discipline and other corrective measures when they are found to be warranted